Total Film | Rush Review

In the hands of Ron Howard, it’s a tale that could easily have gone awry; while he’s successfully documented real-life heroism before, in 1995’s Apollo 13, he’s a director who, on occasion, gets dazzled by the superficial. The sour taste left by his recent Dan Brown outings – The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons – lingers, while his last film, 2011’s ill-advised return to comedy The Dilemma, is best forgotten.

Fortunately, Rush far exceeds expectations, emerging as one of the most rip-roaring rides of Howard’s career.

But Rush is not a film for petrolheads (much as they’ll get a kick out of it). It’s a character study of two men – one brazen and cocksure, the other an early-to-bed obsessive – who were both mavericks of the track.

Utterly gripping. Aided by two punchy lead turns, an Oscar-worthy script and stunning in-car footage, Howard’s race film delivers top-gear drama. A piston- and heart-pumping triumph.